On June 9, ASAM joined 135 other organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA), in sending a letter to House and Senate leadership requesting the inclusion of targeted and limited liability protections for healthcare professionals in the upcoming COVID-19 relief package. The protections specifically requested are outlined in the bipartisan bill, H.R. 7059, the “Coronavirus Provider Protection Act,” which was recently introduced by Representatives Phil Roe (R-TN), and Lou Correa (D-CA). The letter asks that the protections extend at least 60 days after the declared public health emergency ends and apply only to physicians and other health care professionals who are providing legitimate care during COVID-19.

The letter emphasizes that without the inclusion of these protections, many physicians and other health care professionals face the threat of liability lawsuits due to circumstances outside of their control. During the unprecedented conditions of COVID-19, physicians and other healthcare professionals have been complying with government guidance and grappling with a lack of resources that has, at times, necessarily altered their provision of healthcare services. Therefore, it is vital for Congress to include targeted and limited liability protections in the upcoming COVID-19 relief package to protect physicians and other healthcare professionals from costly and emotionally draining litigation.

Read the letter here.

Read H.R. 7059 here.